Parents, if you're looking for places to unload some Halloween excess and spare your family a few calories, there's a spot in Lufkin that would love to take it off your hands and do something great with it.  One dentist is collecting candy now, and they'll box it up and send it to the troops, to brighten their day with a little taste of home.

We can probably spare a few packages of Twix and Starbursts, right?  The troops will know they're being thought of and appreciated back at home, and they get a little sugar-buzz energy rush to help with the important work they're doing over there.

You can help Operation Gratitude by donating leftover candy, and join the effort that has already sent more than 106 million care packages to military members overseas.  They do ask that we avoid dropping off things like pixy stix or other powdery candy because it doesn't ship well.

Kool Smiles in Lufkin is a drop-off location, at 400 N. Timberland Drive.

Drop off the excess candy this week, and if you don't have any it's all on sale now and buying a bag won't set ya back much.  Operation Gratitude says you can even get a tax deduction.  And you might save yourself a couple of thousand candy calories too.

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